Source-and venue-specific inventory data processing and identification system

• US 20070282712A1
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CDK Global Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ADP Dealer Services Incorporated (CDK Global Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ullman, Matthew Royce, Worsham, Brian T., Orman Leonard, Douglas George
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system processes product data including values for a product data record corresponding to a product style. A network interface receives a product data record over a network from a source. A memory has stored thereon computer readable instruction code, including, a rule set having rules associated with the product data record, and a processing manager to apply the rules to the product data record and determine availability of values to a venue. The processing manager includes a style identification manager to determine from among the available values a product style associated with the available values, and to make the product style available to the venue based on the rules.

Claims

1. A system to identify a product style for a product date record associated with a product, comprising:

a network interface to receive a product date record, including values associated with the product, over a network from a source; and

a memory having stored thereon computer readable instruction code, including,

a rule set including rules associated with the product data record,

style data associated with product styles, and

a processing manager to attempt to populate a first style candidate list stored in the memory with candidate product styles based on matching a granular standard product class value to product styles and to attempt to populate a second candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching a taxonomic classification value with a product style represented in the style data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the granular standard product class value is a model code value.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing manager is to further populate the first style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles and compare a product attribute value with each candidate product style of the first style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches, and to eliminate any non-matching candidate product styles from the first style candidate list.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first style candidate list remains with a plurality of candidate product styles, and the processing manager is to further select the candidate product style that is the most basic and return the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing manager is to further populate the second style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles and compare a product attribute value with each candidate product style of the second style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches, and to eliminate any non-matching candidate product styles from the second style candidate list.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second style candidate list remains with a plurality of candidate product styles, and the processing manager is to further select the candidate product style that is the most basic and return the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second candidate lists remain empty and the processing manager is to further attempt to match a select product attribute value with a product style to provide a candidate product style.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing manager is to further populate the first style candidate list with one candidate product style and return the one candidate product style from the first style candidate list as the product style for the product.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing manager is to further populate the second style candidate list with one candidate product style and return the one candidate product style from the second style candidate list as the product style for the product.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second style candidate lists remain empty, and the processing manager is to further return a null value rather than return a product style for the product.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first style candidate list remains empty, and the processing manager is to further populate the second style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles, compare a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the second style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches, and eliminate any non-matching candidate product styles from the second style candidate list.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, and the processing manager is to further select the candidate product style that is the most basic and return the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the second style candidate list remains empty, and the processing manager is to further populate the first style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles, compare a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the first style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches, and eliminate any non-matching candidate product styles from the first style candidate list.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, and the processing manager is to further select the candidate product style that is the most basic and return the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing manager is to further populate the first and second candidate lists with a plurality of candidate product styles, create a third style candidate list, and populate the third style candidate list with a candidate product style that is shared by both the first and second candidate lists.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing manager is to further populate the third style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles that are shared by both the first and second candidate lists, compare a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the third style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches, and eliminate any non-matching candidate product styles from the third style candidate list.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the third style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, and the processing manager is to further select the candidate product style from the third style candidate list that is the most basic and return the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

18. A method for identifying a product style based on a product data record associated with a product, comprising:

receiving a product data record over a network from a source, the product data record including values corresponding to a product;

providing rules associated with the product data record;

providing style data associated with product styles;

attempting to populate a first style candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching a granular standard product class value to product styles; and

attempting to populate a second candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching a taxonomic classification value with a product style represented in the style data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the granular standard product class value is a model code value.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

populating the first style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style of the first style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the first style candidate list.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, and further comprising:

selecting the candidate product style that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

populating the second style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the second style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the second style candidate list.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

the second style candidate list remaining with a plurality of candidate product styles;

selecting the candidate product style that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising upon determining that the first and second candidate lists remain empty, attempting to match a select product attribute value with a product style to provide a candidate product style.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

populating the first style candidate list with one candidate product style; and

returning the one candidate product style from the first style candidate list as the product style for the product.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

populating the second style candidate list with one candidate product style; and

returning the one candidate product style from the second style candidate list as the product style for the product.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second style candidate lists remain empty, the method further comprising returning a null value rather than return a product style for the product.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the first style candidate list remains empty and further comprising:

populating the second style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the second style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the second style candidate list.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the second style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, and further comprising:

selecting the candidate product style that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

populating the first and second candidate lists with a plurality of candidate product styles;

creating a third style candidate list; and

populating the third style candidate list with a candidate product style that is shared by both the first and second candidate lists.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

populating the third style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles that are shared by both the first and second candidate lists;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the third style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the third style candidate list.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the third style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, and further comprising:

selecting the candidate product style from the third style candidate list that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

33. A computer readable medium including computer readable instruction code for identifying a product style based on a product data record associated with a product, the method comprising:

receiving a product data record over a network from a source, the product data record including values corresponding to a product;

providing rules associated with the product data record;

providing style data associated with product styles;

attempting to populate a first style candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching a granular standard product class value to product styles; and

attempting to populate a second candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching a taxonomic classification value with a product style represented in the style data.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the granular standard product class value is a model code value.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising:

populating the first style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style of the first style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the first style candidate list.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising:

the first style candidate list remaining with a plurality of candidate product styles;

selecting the candidate product style that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising:

populating the second style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the second style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the second style candidate list.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, the method further comprising:

the second style candidate list remaining with a plurality of candidate product styles;

selecting the candidate product style that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising upon determining that the first and second candidate lists remain empty, attempting to match a select attribute value with a product style to provide a candidate product style.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising:

populating the first style candidate list with one candidate product style; and

returning the one candidate product style from the first style candidate list as the product style for the product.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising:

populating the second style candidate list with one candidate product style; and

returning the one candidate product style from the second style candidate list as the product style for the product.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the first and second style candidate lists remain empty, the method further comprising returning a null value rather than return a product style for the product.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the first style candidate list remains empty and the method further comprising:

populating the second style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the second style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the second style candidate list.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein the second style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, the method further comprising:

selecting the candidate product style that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 33, the method further comprising:

populating the first and second candidate lists with a plurality of candidate product styles;

creating a third style candidate list; and

populating the third style candidate list with a candidate product style that is shared by both the first and second candidate lists.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 45, the method further comprising:

populating the third style candidate list with a plurality of candidate product styles that are shared by both the first and second candidate lists;

comparing a product attribute value with each candidate product style in the third style candidate list to determine if each candidate product style matches; and

eliminating any non-matching candidate product styles from the third style candidate list.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 45, wherein the third style candidate list includes a plurality of candidate product styles, and the method further comprising:

selecting the candidate product style from the third style candidate list that is the most basic; and

returning the selected candidate product style as the product style for the product.

48. A method for identifying a product style based on a product data record associated with a product, comprising:

receiving a product data record over a network from a source, the product data record including values corresponding to a product;

providing rules associated with the product data record;

providing style data associated with product styles; and

upon satisfying a condition set by a rule, determining the product style from the values and the style data by determining product style candidates by matching a value of a granular standard product class with a product style represented in the style data and by matching a taxonomic classification value with a product style upon determining that there are no candidates based on a granular standard product class matching.

49. A method for identifying a product style based on a product data record associated with a product, comprising:

receiving a product data record over a network from a source, the product data record including values corresponding to a product;

providing rules associated with the product data record;

providing style data associated with product styles; and

determining the product style from the values and the style data by determining whether a rule requires matching of a value of a granular standard product class to a product style, attempting to populate a first style candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching the granular standard product class value to product styles, and upon determining that no candidate product styles exist for the first style candidate list, populating a second candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching a taxonomic classification value with a product style represented in the style data.

50. A method for identifying a product style based on a product data record associated with a product, comprising:

receiving a product data record over a network from a source, the product data record including values corresponding to a product;

providing rules associated with the product data record;

providing style data associated with product styles; and

determining the product style from the values and the style data by determining whether a rule requires matching of a value of a granular standard product class to a product style, attempting to populate a first style candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching the granular standard product class value to product styles, upon determining that no candidate product styles exist for the first style candidate list, attempting to populate a second candidate list with candidate product styles based on matching a taxonomic classification value with a product style represented in the style data; and

upon determining that the second candidate list remains empty, attempting to match a select attribute value with a product style to provide a candidate product style.